A New Do
by iheartShules
Summary: New do, new her, new beginnings...with a certain man. Rated T for language. CAREESE-ish :)


_**AN: This is born out of watching Taraji's new Today interview and I love her haircut so it got me to thinking what if John saw it. And it never works out when I think things over. Also I wrote this out in like a half hour and I didn't send it to Elaine because I know she's busy. So be forewarned there will be errors which I apologize thoroughly for!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: I don't anything still.**_

* * *

Shaw burst into the pub that was their weekly hangout. It wouldn't surprise her to learn that Finch bought the pub himself. She made a beeline for their table for five in the back. Per usual Reese and Finch were the first ones there, which was as lame as it sounded. But today it worked in her favor because she got to tease the growly bear otherwise known as Reese. He sure was getting more and more grouchy, and Shaw had a suspicion that his growing frustration had a name, and it was called: Carter. If there was ever a man that needed to get laid in the worst way it was Reese. From a few talks with Zoe she's been doing some new Italian rich guy because Reese hadn't shown any interest in having another tryst. _So either Reese was saving himself for Carter or he was getting by with his hand_ , she thought with a snicker. And judging by how fucking tense he was every second of every day she suspected it was more he was hung up on Carter.

She grinned cockily at Reese. "Wait until you see Carter." she said in way of a greeting.

John went rigid in seconds flat. "Why?—what's wrong? Is she alright?" he demanded.

Shaw rolled her eyes as she turned the chair around to sit on it backwards while leaning her forearms on the back of the chair. "Stop getting your knickers in a twist, Reese, Carter's fine. She got a new haircut and she looks fucking hot!" Shaw exclaimed and smirked as John scowled. Reese's tongue would be wagging when he got a load of Carter and she, for one, couldn't wait. Shaw was waiting for vindication that she was right that those two weren't 'just friends' as he claimed. Maybe back in the day they were but there was nothing remotely friendly about them now. She was sure if she eyed her _friend_ like Reese and Carter eyed each other than she'd break the bed from nailing the shit out the person.

"I saw her just this morning at breakfast."

"And she got the haircut this afternoon. Today was her day off so we had lunch together while you two boys went off and did your thing. I was tempted in cutting my hair myself but the hair salon she went too had an ice cream parlor next door." Shaw retorted as she looked around for the waitress. "Where the hell is my bottle of _Grey Goose_?" she called out.

Finch shifted his gaze between Mr. Reese and Ms. Shaw. Food was always calling Ms. Shaw but instead he said; "Ms. Shaw, I just ordered it for you. Candace should be back any minute with your bottle of _Grey Goose_ and Jocelyn's Manhattan."

John could feel the two sets of eyes watching him but he ignored them both. He was trying to conjure up what possible haircut Carter could have gotten that has Shaw this riled up. Shaw had a hardcore girl crush on Carter which he didn't blame her for. He had been infatuated with Carter from the moment he met her. He had tried to ignore it and for the most part he had. Burying feelings that he knew could never be reciprocated had been quite easy but the more time passed and the closer they became it became increasingly harder to do so. Not to mention it didn't seem as though the fact that his feelings for Carter couldn't be reciprocated was true anymore.

He and Carter had been struggling since she had gotten shot protecting him from Simmons in November. She made a miraculous recovery but during her recovery they shared a moment. It took them both by surprise. Carter had a nightmare and called him up sounding upset. He asked her to meet him at a café that was open twenty-four hours to talk, and she did. John could almost remember it as if it happened yesterday; she arrived in pink fleece pajama bottoms, a NYPD gray oversized hoodie, a heavy wool coat, and godawful shoes she later explained were called UGG boots. She had been makeup less, and her hair sat messily in a bun on the top of her head, and with tears in her eyes but she was the most beautiful woman he ever seen in his entire life. It was then he learned that her nightmare wasn't one of dying herself but of him dying instead.

They had spent two hours at the café just talking about nothing. John had teased out a smile and a laugh or two, and even got a threat of getting cuffed from her which he had taken as a sign that his detective was feeling better. He had followed her home to make sure she got in safely and even escorted her up to her door but when she hugged him and whispered 'thank you for being here' in his ear, he had been lost. One moment he had hugged her back and the next they were kissing. John had her pinned to her door and kissing her like his life depended on it. But she had kissed him back, running her hands through his hair, and tangled her tongue with his. The fact that his feelings for her weren't just one-sided jarred him loose of her and he promptly whirled around and barked at her to get inside and he ran. John had run from her and his feelings for her.

Since then neither one brought it up.

He was interrupted of his thoughts by Shaw as she looked around after the waitress placed her bottle of _Grey Goose_ in front of her and Carter's drink on the table. "Where's Fusco?" she demanded.

"On a date," Harold supplied with a smile twitching on his lips.

"He stood us up for some chick he'd like to bang!" Shaw stated before eyeing Finch conspiratorially. "Though I think we'll be bailing tonight too, Finch, unless of course you want to see Reese mentally disrobe Carter."

"Shaw," John warned.

She shrugged, though seemingly pleased with herself.

Meanwhile outside, Joss felt nervous. Why, was beyond her but she was. John's reaction to her haircut didn't matter. So what if he might say that he didn't like it, she did and that was what mattered. Oh, she'd grow her hair out again but getting this pixie cut was the perfect change she was looking for. Nothing permanent like a tattoo but something that was different and new; she played with her hair before smiling to make sure she didn't get any lipstick on her teeth.

The butterflies got worse as she climbed out of her car. "Get it together, Joss, you're not on a date or something. You're having drinks with your friends…and John." she muttered to herself in exasperation. She couldn't put John in the same category as Shaw, Finch, and Fusco. No, John altogether meant something a lot more to her than the others. And not that she didn't care for the others because she did but she cared about John in a wholly different way.

She entered the pub removing her leather jacket at the door before walking unhurriedly to the back table where her friends and John sat. Her eyes locked with John's and knew he was floored at the haircut. She just wasn't sure if it was a good floored or a bad floored.

"Hey guys," she greeted, wetting her lips anxiously.

Finch looked up and smiled. "Detective, your new haircut is very fitting." he murmured sweetly.

She felt her cheeks heating up as she tried to ignore John's blatant staring. "Thanks Finch, just wanted something new." she admitted as she took a seat next to John. "So John, do you like it?" she asked, unsure as to why she was holding her breath.

John gaped at Joss. He couldn't help it. When Shaw said Joss had gotten a haircut he had been picturing her hair to her ears and not much further than that. But this…Joss had her hair shaved much like he did, but she left more on the top to allow her natural curls be on full display. Her hair on the top was dyed a warm honey-caramel color that added an alluring contrast from the rest of her dark hair that was buzzed short.

"John?" she prodded weakly, now growing a little uncomfortable at the staring.

"You're beautiful," he breathed before realizing what he said and cleared his throat. "Uh, I, I meant it looks good on you Carter."

Joss grinned warmly loving how flustered John was getting. She liked the fact that he seemed to be totally taken by her as he just continued to gawk at her. She touched the sides of her hair. "When the stylist suggested this pixie cut I was a little apprehensive about it but decided what the hell it's only hair and it will grow back." she rambled on nervously.

Shaw burst the little moment between the two as she exclaimed; "Are you as uncomfortable as I am Finch?! We are like the third and fourth wheels here. I knew we'd be bailing because Reese was going to eye fuck Carter the entire time but Carter is about as nervous as a giggly school girl. I'm out!"

Joss looked around the table in shock as Harold took that as his cue to leave as he and Shaw got to their feet before looking at John, who looked mortified by Shaw's outburst. She watched Harold and Shaw disappear before glancing back at John.

"Uh, what the hell just happened?" she demanded.

John carefully kept his gaze on his scotch. "I think we were ditched." he commented dryly before risking a look at Carter.

She didn't seem all that unhappy at the turn of events. Joss angled her body towards him and rested her chin on her hand as she searched his face. "So…you really like my haircut?" she asked as she scooted closer to him as she picked up her Manhattan.

"Yes," he said. He more than liked it. His body was having a very distinct reaction to how good she looked, which annoyed him because Shaw was right.

Joss took a sip of her Manhattan raking a keen gaze over him and saw the way he was shifting in his seat. She risked a discreet look down and swallowed her alcohol hard. Who knew a haircut would get John all hot and bothered, maybe it was enough to finally get him to do something about them. She set her glass down and scooted even closer.

"So you think I look beautiful?" she asked lowly as she leaned forward, grateful she had decided to go with her low-cut top. John's gaze fell to her breasts before he seemed to find his glass of scotch very interesting again. Joss almost could hear him reciting baseball stats or some other useless sports statistic to get his mind off his erection that was forming.

She stared at his profile. "Why did you kiss me and run that night?" she asked.

He kept his gaze on his drink. "Because we can't happen." he answered truthfully.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that." she requested abruptly. John looked at her and now saw she was even closer to him as her body was angled towards his, and when did her hand reach out to rest on his? He gulped as his eyes roamed over her haircut that accentuated her petite facial features and highlighted just how damn feminine she was.

He shifted uncomfortably as a lump formed in his throat. He couldn't tell her to her face because he couldn't get himself to fully believe they couldn't work.

"Ask me to dinner John," she purred.

"I-I-I…" he stuttered.

She smiled. It never ceased to amaze her that this big sexy man could get so tongue tied.

"I thought you ate already." he blurted out and groaned. How did Joss always manage to make him say exactly opposite of what he wanted to say? Like when he saw her in her cop uniform, instead of saying she looked hot he said she looked badass.

"No, and I'm hungry John." she said with emphasis on 'hungry' to get her point across. She wasn't solely hungry for food. She was hungry for John and judging from the forming erection and the looks he was giving her he was just as hungry.

"Would you have dinner with me, Joss?"

Joss nodded as the stuttering stopped. "I'd love too. And while we eat we can discuss how much you love this new do." she murmured as she climbed to her feet. They could then discuss them while they were at it and she wasn't leaving the restaurant until she got a promise for more dates. She wasn't taking no for answer! New hair, new her, and new beginnings...with this man. Maybe after dinner she could cajole him into coming over to her place for just a good ol' fashion makeout session. Things were looking up and as John stood her gaze slid down his lean body and grinned widely; things were definitely looking up.

* * *

AN: Again I apologize for the errors but I didn't want to bug Elaine to proof this quickly since I know she's busy with her upcoming trip. Thank you guys for reading this XOXOX


End file.
